School of Animal Biology
Applications
Please contact:
Joseph Tomkins,
Honours Coordinator.
email or ph +61 8 6488 2110
Other study areas:
In Zoology honours you can study a diversity of organisms, from marine, freshwater and terrestrial invertebrates up to fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, including humans.
There are expertise and opportunities to study these animals from all standpoints – from systematics and biogeography to ecology, neurobiology, physiology, behaviour, genetics and evolution. The Zoology honours course is a research intensive year that offers the development of generic research skills required to work effectively in a scientific career. The research conducted by students in the Zoology honours year is at the cutting edge of discovery, with many research projects being published in leading international scientific journals, giving their authors the advantage in obtaining postgraduate scholarships, or research positions in the public sector.
Honours unit choices: previously studied units in Zoology do not preclude taking any units in 2013/2014.
Potential areas of study
- Animal Physiology
- Brain development and repair
- Comparative neurobiology and neuro-ecology
- Ecology
- Behavioural Ecology/Evolutionary Ecology
- Biogeography, Systematics and Taxonomy
Animal Physiology
Through comparative physiology we strive to understand how animals have evolved adaptations in their physiology to overcome the environmental challenges they face. In Australia we are fortunate to have marsupials to study and these animals face extremes of temperature and shortages of water. Eco and environmental physiology is an increasingly important tool in understanding how threatened species may be affected by changes in climate.
Leaders
- Dr James O'Shea
- Prof Phil Withers
- Asst/Prof Nicola Mitchell
- Prof Shane Maloney (School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences)
Brain development and repair
We use mouse and rat models of abnormal brain development and neurotrauma to understand mechanisms that contribute to brain dysfunction in neurological conditions and following injury. Specific foci are plasticity and secondary degeneration. Research also investigates novel therapies to treat and repair the damaged brain, including pulsed magnetic fields, near infra-red light and various pharmaceutical agents.
Leaders
Comparative neurobiology and neuro-ecology
We use animal models including lampreys, sharks, fish, birds, reptiles and mammals to establish broad concepts of sensory plasticity and adaptation to different environments (marine, freshwater, terrestrial) and behaviours (mate selection, prey detection, predator avoidance). Anatomical, electrophysiological, molecular and behavioural techniques are currently being used to investigate all of the known sensory systems, with an emphasis on vision.
Leaders
Ecology
We study the community and population ecology of terrestrial and aquatic (marine, salt lake and fresh water) animals. This research asks both fundamental and applied questions about the ecology of animals in pristine habitats and those affected by the activities of humans. Marine questions involve studying reef and rocky shore ecosystems at Ningaloo, the Abrolhos Islands and Rottnest. Research in the terrestrial environment studies the ecology of animals in arid landscapes, the effects of forest fragmentation in temperate and tropical forests, edge effects on insect community structure and the impact of biodiversity loss on the dynamics of trophic structure.
Leaders
- Dr Jane Prince
- W/Prof Dale Roberts
- W/Prof Mike Johnson
- Dr Andrew Storey
- Dr Brenton Knott
- Prof Raphael Didham
Behavioural Ecology/Evolutionary Ecology
We combine expertise in population, evolutionary, and molecular genetics, with phenotypic studies of selection. We adopt a multidisciplinary approach to explore selective processes acting on the morphological and life history traits of both whole organisms and their gametes. Further information can be found at the Centre of Evolutionary Biology website.
Leaders
Biogeography, Systematics and Taxonomy
There is a huge diversity of taxa in Western Australia that has yet to be formally identified including, numerous cryptic species and short range endemics. This makes Western Australia a very exciting place to study the distribution, origins and relationships between species: a vital contribution to understanding biodiversity.
Leaders